The Question
by Irish Rose1
Summary: Clark wants to ask Lois a certain question. What will her answer be? 2 of 3.


Lois resisted waking because the dream she was having was one she didn't want to let go of. It was a dream that was so vivid, from the feel of his arms holding her close against his solid body to his warm lips brushing against her hair.

She liked it when he did that and wasn't sure if she'd ever told him.

_She really should._

The fact was, she always felt safe and secure in his embrace and couldn't imagine a time when he wouldn't be there to hold her, or kiss her... or love her. They'd come so close to doing just that the night before and as much as she missed Clark's mother, couldn't help but wish that she'd come home when they'd been expecting her.

Lois had gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to make love with him and it had left her frustrated beyond belief that they'd been denied what they were finally ready for. She thought she understood what it meant to show someone how much you loved them, but after the previous night she knew that she hadn't had a clue.

And after last night, she knew she'd never really be able to look at him in the same way again. Because in spite of her declaration that she wasn't ready for children, and she wasn't, it hadn't stopped her from imagining what it would be like to have a little boy who had his father's dark hair and blue eyes. A little boy who would grow into a thoughtful young man and would protect his little sisters at any cost. _Sisters? _

And if they were anything like _her_, her son would have his hands full.

_Actually, he would be _their_ son._

It unnerved her to think about things like that because Lois had never really been comfortable around children. Maybe it was the fact that she'd had to grow up so fast after her mother died, that she didn't have the chance to be a kid herself.

But she also had to acknowledge what a wonderful father Clark would be because he had such a solid role model to emulate. _Both_ of the Kent's had raised their only child to be decent and honest and caring. They'd expected a lot from him, but gave him unconditional love in return.

It was a relationship she couldn't help be envious of, but it had also showed her that with time and patience, she could forge a better relationship with her own father. Ever since Thanksgiving, she'd been trying to do just that and to his credit, the General had been trying too.

Lois knew how much her father had depended on her when she was growing up, to keep an eye on Lucy. And he'd admitted to her during her visit that he didn't show his appreciation of her help the way he should have, or could have.

'_When I look back at it, I'm sorry I didn't give you the same opportunities that I gave Lucy.' He told her. 'But your sister was a handful that I didn't know how to deal with and it wasn't fair of me to expect you to sacrifice your own opportunities. But I did.'_

'_Water under the bridge, Dad.' Lois replied, tucking her arm through his as they walked together. 'You always said I was more suited to Army life than Lucy was, and as much as I hate to admit it, you were right.'_

'_She hated moving around so much.'_

'_I didn't like it either.' She sighed. 'But we had to go where you did and if it meant picking up stakes every two years, then that's what we did.'_

'_It never seemed to phase you.' He looked surprised at her admission. _

'_It wouldn't have helped to have the both of us complaining.' She answered. 'Because Lucy made it hard enough.'_

_He nodded his agreement. 'Sending her away to school wasn't an easy decision Lo, and I know how much you missed her. But I figured that without her to worry about, you could concentrate on school and take care of yourself for a change.'_

Lois wasn't aware for a moment or two of the feather light touch of Clark's lips on her cheek. "Are you all right?" Came the whispered question from a sleepy voice near her ear.

She had to be caught in the moment between sleep and waking because she couldn't discern if what she thought she felt was real or her imagination, her need to have him so close.

"Lois?" His soft voice rumbled as his fingers gently traced her spinal column. "Why are you frowning?"

"Because I woke up with _you_, instead of in my bed." She smiled.

"You mean _my_ bed." The worried tone seemed to ebb a little as she teased him, but she also knew that he wouldn't let it go.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes behind closed eyelids.

"Were you having a nightmare?"

_Sarcasm or serious?_

"Not a nightmare." _Serious. _"I was just thinking about something Dad and I were talking about while we were back in Washington."

"You mind telling me about it?"

She shook her head and slowly opened her eyes. "He has regrets about the way I grew up."

"He mentioned that when we took our walk." Lois felt his nod. "He really does love you Lois and I think he has a lot of regrets about not being there for you. But I think he deserves some credit for trying to make things right."

"That's _your_ fault, you know." She laughed softly and felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat under her hand. "You also realize that if your mother catches me down here, we're both in a lot of trouble."

"How can we get in trouble, we didn't do anything." And his chest shook with quiet laughter. "Besides, if anyone's going to get in trouble, it'll be you."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Because I was down here by myself, sound asleep by the way, and I woke up because this girl was hogging my blanket and snoring in my ear."

"I do _not_ snore." She gave him a swift punch as she hid her smile.

"Really." He had to be grinning. "Then why did Shelby run upstairs?"

"Well who would you _rather_ have downstairs, Mr. Smart Guy? That mutt or me?"

_Silence._

"Clark?" He couldn't be serious,_ could he_?"Clark."

"I'm thinking about it." He had trouble getting the words out as he tried to keep from laughing.

"Thinking about it?" She planted her hands on his chest and boosted herself up, fisting his tee shirt as she did. "You have to _think_ about it?"

"A little persuasion might help make things more clear." He told her as one of his hands found it's way under her tee shirt, his actually, and brushed her bare skin.

"And what kind of persuasion were you thinking about?" She leaned down, a hair's breath away from his lips, loving the feel of his hands on her.

"I think you've got the general idea." Clark smiled at her as his other hand reached up to cup the back of her head and he pulled her into his kiss.

Lois found herself with a smile on her face as she kissed him back because she realized that she wouldn't mind waking up every morning with a kiss from him. Her hands crept into his hair as he shifted her body so that she was lying on top of him and felt the unmistakable evidence of what his body wanted.

She had to curb the urge to arch into that want because his mother was upstairs and Lois wasn't going to make love with him under those circumstances. Clark had said the night before that it was just a matter of time and she knew that it wasn't time, _yet_.

At least that's what she told herself when he slowly deepened his kiss to tease her and she began to wonder if that wasn't exactly what he was trying to get her to do with him.

"You can't be serious." Lois pushed herself up again, away from his soft lips and the intense look on his face nearly crumbled her resolve. There was a look of challenge in his eyes that she'd never seen before and undisguised desire. He'd always been so careful before, to conceal those base feelings from her because he was first and foremost a gentleman.

But she also knew that he was a man who was deeply in love and had had the chance of being with the woman he loved snatched out of his grasp. She understood how he felt.

"What do _you_ think?" The sudden huskiness in his voice made her skin tingle with an anticipation she shouldn't have felt.

"I think I need to get upstairs before we do something we shouldn't." Her voice dropped to a whisper, wondering if he was really serious and she started to move with the intention of following through.

"Please don't." He whispered back, tightening his hold on her. The look in his eyes betraying worry that she would do just that.

"I'll only be upstairs Clark. I'm not planning on going anywhere else." _What was he so afraid of? _

"I like this." He admitted to her shyly. "I like waking up and having you so close. Maybe if we hadn't shared a bed before, it wouldn't feel so right. But it seems the more we _do_ sleep together, I don't want to let you go."

Lois suddenly couldn't look him in the eye because she was afraid of what he might be getting at. _Wasn't she?_

"What are you thinking Lois?" His voice was gentle, but the worry was still there. And to be perfectly honest, she didn't know how to calm it. She _did_, however, need to be honest.

"After what happened last night, we're just tempting fate being together like this." She admitted.

"If I behave myself, will you stay?" There was a pleading tone to his voice and it made her heart melt because it told her how much he really needed her. "I'll let you go back to sleep and _I'll_ go back to sleep and we'll forget that any of this happened."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You seriously expect me to forget about this?"

"We can try?" He offered lamely and Lois knew she wasn't going anywhere.

"Go back to sleep Smallville. I won't go back upstairs."

"Promise?" The worried look was still there.

"I promise." She nodded and then kissed him in reassurance before she lay back down next to him. She put her hand over his rapid heartbeat and Lois smiled as she rubbed her fingers gently across the palpitations. "And you know I never break a promise."

"I'm holding you to that Lois."

"Just hold me." She put her head down on his chest, closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

~*~

"Clark, are you all right? You're a million miles away."

_Not a million Mom, only as far as the Planet._

Clark was sitting out on the front porch swing turning over in his mind what had happened, and _not_ happened between Lois and him the night before when he heard his mother step out from the house and felt the swing move as she sat down next to him.

"I interrupted something last night, didn't I?" She asked gently as she took his hand and Clark felt his face warm self-consciously as she caught his eye.

"Mom-" Was the only thing he could manage to say and she sighed quietly.

"You're not a little boy any more and I can't treat you like one." She gripped his hand firmly. "I know how much you and Lois love each other and it's only natural to want to act on that."

"We didn't-" The warming in his face accelerated to a burn as he tried to tell her that nothing had happened, but something _had_. Something that had changed the way he saw Lois, that had deepened the way he felt about her and how much he needed her.

The physical closeness they'd shared, her trust in him to treat her body with the same love and devotion that he felt for _her_, her uncharacteristic submissiveness as he followed his heart and his instincts to finally begin to know her made his mind reel.

"You may not have consummated anything, but from the way the two of you were looking at each other last night and the fact that I found her asleep with you on the couch this morning tells me that you went beyond just necking."

"I-" He looked down at the worn planks of the front porch and took a deep breath before he sighed. And to his complete surprise, he heard his mother's soft laugh.

"This is a conversation you should be having with your dad." She commented. "Because there are just some things that a son doesn't want his mother to know. And to be perfectly honest, there are some things a mother doesn't want to know about her son."

"We didn't go through with anything." He finally got the words out, but the fact that they hadn't tightened his chest with disappointment.

"But you _would_ have if I hadn't come home early." She caught his eye again. "Clark, I'm not telling you that you can't because I've had to accept the fact that I don't have that right anymore. Your relationship has obviously come to a point that you want to express your feelings for each other in a deeper way.

"What I _am_ trying to say is, you've waited all this time to take this next step with her, so maybe there's something else you'd like to do too."

'_Why don't you just marry her already.'_

"Mom-" He shook his head, even as his face warmed again because he knew where she was going.

"Hear me out. Now I know that it wouldn't be the first time for you or for her and I also know that the two of you have been hurt by people that you were intimate with.

"I also know that wanting to be with Lois and her wanting to be with you isn't something that either of you takes lightly, so I'm going to ask you something. Have you thought about marrying her?"

'_I think that you won't really be happy until you can call yourself her husband.'_

"I've thought about it." He nodded. "But as much as Lois loves me, I don't think she's ready."

"Has she told you that?" If Clark didn't know better, he would have sworn Oliver had talked to his mother. "Honey, have you ever really talked about it?"

"We were always more concerned if we were ready for-" He shook his head before he stopped in embarrassment. "Until last night, we've never really talked about it."

"What is your heart telling you?" His mother pulled on his hand to get his undivided attention. "_Would_ you like to marry her and spend the rest of your life with her?"

_And there it was, _straightforward as always.

"I don't-" The thought whirled around in his mind, unable to settle on an answer.

"Clark, are you going to tell me that the only thing you want from Lois is sex?" Her blunt question startled him so badly that he pulled his hand out of her grasp. He stood up and walked to the end of the porch, running a hand through his hair.

"Mom, no!"

"And what happened last night wasn't anything more than releasing some frustration." She continued and he shook his head. _Why was she saying these things? _

"In my great-grandfather's day there was an old saying that went something along the lines of, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free'? Which means-"

"I know what it means." And he turned to face her. "You know that Lois means more to me than that. Ever since I've known her, she's been the one person in my life who hasn't treated me like I was anything special."

The thought of that made him inexplicably grin.

"And even after telling her my secret, she _still_ treats me that way."

"She wouldn't be Lois if she didn't." Mom smiled at him. "My point in saying these things is to get you to really think about her place in your life. And to get you to think about what your life would be like if she wasn't a part of it."

"I can't imagine that she wouldn't be." He shrugged.

"And I imagine that she probably feels the same way about you." She said. "In the years I've known Lois, I've never seen her as happy and content as she's been since you've been together. And I have to say the same about you because from what I've seen, she's the first girl you've known who truly makes you happy.

"You told me once that she's the one girl who makes you feel human and to my mind, that's no small feat. Your dad and I always tried to do that, but knowing that you weren't and in trying to protect you from others finding that out, we failed."

"Mom, you and Dad loved me and I always knew that." Clark walked back to the swing and sat down next to her, taking her hand. "And I understood why you didn't want people to know about my abilities. But because we had to keep that a secret, it was a constant reminder that I _was_ different.

"Lois knows my secret and it doesn't change anything." He grinned again. "Except that she seems to feel the need to give me a _harder_ time."

"What was it that she used to say? She liked to 'bust your chops'?" She laughed and squeezed his hand. "Honey, real lasting love only comes around once in a lifetime and it only happens when the right two people find each other.

"I was lucky enough to find it with your dad and you've found it with Lois. Please don't over think if you're ready for a commitment because it seems to me that you've already made one."

"Oliver said that Lois and I were married in everything but name." _Were they? _

"I'd say that he's made a good point." She nodded and then got up off the swing. "Now what _you_ need to consider is if you think he's right. And if you think he is, then you know what you're ready to do."

"What do _you_ think?"

"I think that deep down in your heart, you already know the answer." She smiled at him and her eyes started to glisten. "So I'd like you to have this for when you decide that the time is right."

Clark hadn't noticed when his mother came out the porch that she had something in her hand until she held it out to him.

"Mom?" He looked at a ring box sitting in the palm of her hand and then at his mother.

"Take it." She urged him to reach for it. When he took it from her outstretched hand, _his_ hands began to shake as he opened the box and saw a small solitaire diamond ring couched inside. "Your dad gave that to me the night he proposed and we had a lot of happy years together. And I know he wouldn't mind my giving it to you so that you could give it to Lois.

"Jonathan thought the world of her and there were times he couldn't understand why you and she couldn't see what _he_ saw."

"What did he see?" Clark couldn't take his eyes off the ring.

"Two people who cared about each other but were too stubborn to admit it." The amusement in her voice got him to look up at her again. "He used to say that if you would just take the time to stop bickering and get to know each other, you might be surprised how much you actually liked each other."

"Mom, I love her and we _still_ bicker." He laughed and then looked back at the ring.

"But it's not quite the same and you know that."

"I know." He acknowledged with a nod as he took the ring out of the box to get a better look at it, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. As the afternoon sun caught the facets and refracted the light, he tried to imagine how it would look on Lois' finger and a warmth spread across his chest as the image crystallized in his mind.

"I take that smile to mean you've come to a decision." He heard his mother's gentle voice.

"I have?" Clark asked, unaware that he was doing just that.

"Honey, the way you're studying that ring makes me think you're trying to imagine how it's going to look on Lois's finger."

_How in the heck did she do that?_

"Am I right?" She laughed softly and ran a hand over his hair. "Or am I imagining things?"

"I was just trying to imagine how Dad felt, wanting to marry you and not being sure if you'd accept." He was dodging her question and from the look on her face, she knew it.

"He probably felt the same way his son is." She caught his chin and held it. "Clark, don't be afraid of what your heart is telling you. If you want to marry Lois, then ask her."

"Do you think she'll say yes?"

"She's the only one who can answer that."

The question was, what would her answer be?

~*~

Ollie had told Clark to take the day off and spend it with his mother.

So that meant Lois spent the morning staring across at an empty desk and missing him. It was silly, really, because she saw him all the time and it wasn't as though she wouldn't see him when she got home that night.

But she'd gotten used to having him be a part of her day, her whole day. The only solace she had was a small framed picture of the two of them Clark's mother had taken when they'd been in Washington. She'd caught them in a kiss when they'd been standing in front of the house, after going for a walk together.

He'd lifted her off her feet and her arms were wrapped tight around his neck. It was probably her favorite picture of them and had declined to put it in the photo album Clark had started to record their relationship.

To be fair though, he'd declined to put another picture in the album that he'd framed and put on _his_ desk. It was taken before they were even a couple and it was what had made it so special to him, considering that they now were.

Jimmy had caught them alone in the hallway of the _Regent_ when Clark had walked her out of the ballroom. His tuxedo jacket was wrapped around her and was just about to kiss her when the moment was caught for posterity.

It had shown up mysteriously one morning on his desk after he'd come to work at the _Planet_ with a Post-It attached that said simply, _'Some things are worth waiting for.' _

Lois couldn't disagree with his assessment, even though she hadn't realized for the longest time that it was exactly what she was doing; she was waiting for Clark.

"Hi, Lo." Lois looked up to see the smiling face of her cousin standing next to her desk. "You were a million miles away."

_Not a million Chlo, just as far as the farm. _

"Hey, Chlo. What brings you down here?"

_Dumb question Lois._

"Jimmy and I are going to the Ace of Clubs for lunch." She said. "You want to come with us? I know he wouldn't mind."

"No thanks. I'm trying to get this story finished so I can get out of here."

"Anxious to get home, are we?" The teasing tone in Chloe's voice made Lois sigh. "It's perfectly understandable you know. When two people are joined at the hip like you and Clark are, there's bound to be withdrawal symptoms."

"Withdrawal symptoms?" She was having too much fun.

"Yeah. Moody, short-tempered, eager to get another fix as fast as you can." Chloe laughed. "And that's why you want to get back to the farm so fast, so you can get your fix of Clark Kent."

Lois wasn't going to dignify that with an answer, even if it _was_ true.

"Come on Lois, admit it. You're completely, one hundred percent gone on the guy. And he's completely, one hundred percent gone on you too. What's there to be embarrassed about?"

"I'm not embarrassed." She insisted. "I'm just not comfortable talking about it."

"Well that's interesting, because Clark's _very_ comfortable talking about it." Her cousin grinned at her. "He can't seem to stop talking about you, or what story you're working on, or how happy he is to be working here with you, or knowing how much you love him." She finished softly.

"Lo, I've known Clark since we were kids and I've never seen him as happy or content as he's been since you've been together. You're that missing piece to his puzzle that he was always searching for."

"I am?"

"The one fear he's always had was that he'd end up alone, without anyone to share his life with." Chloe reached out and took Lois' hand. "With you, he doesn't have that fear anymore."

"Really?"

"He might not ever say it, but he does need you Lois." She shrugged. "He never needed me, and that's fine because I've got Jimmy and _he_ needs me. And as much as he thought he loved her, he didn't need Lana either because she needed _him_ too much."

"I never did understand that relationship." Lois shook her head.

"There's nothing _to_ understand." Chloe replied. "They weren't good for each other and deep down they both knew it. And if she hadn't left the way she did, they might _still_ be torturing each other."

"She tried to get him to take her back." Lois told her. "She came out to the farm the day before Clark started working here and wanted a second chance."

"More like a third or fourth." Chloe sighed. "I've actually lost count. But it obviously didn't work, did it."

"He told her where he stood, and it wasn't with her." She felt her face warm.

"You weren't ever worried about that, were you?" A look of concern crossed Chloe's face. "Lo, you're the first girl he's ever really been in love with. I'm not sure what it was he felt for Lana, but I can assure you that it wasn't love, not _real_ love anyway."

"I know." Lois nodded. "She doesn't have a hold on him anymore, but I'm not sure she's accepted that."

"Then that's her problem, not yours." She answered firmly. "Clark loves _you_ and no one else and that's all that should matter."

"Since when did you become so wise with matters of the heart?" Lois smiled.

"From recognizing real love when _I've_ found it." Chloe shrugged bashfully. "Jimmy and I have had our share of trouble, but the way he stuck by me after I was arrested showed me how much he loves me. I've never had someone love me as completely as he does."

"And do you love _him_?"

She nodded. "I do, with all my heart."

"I'm glad to hear that because you both deserve that."

"Thanks Lo." Chloe smiled again. "Well, I'm going to go. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"No thanks." Lois declined. "I don't have much left to do and then I'm heading home."

"Okay." She stepped back and gave her cousin a wave. "Say hi to Clark and Mrs. Kent for me."

"I will." Lois promised. "Tell Jimmy that I told him to take care of you or I'll kick his butt."

"As long as you tell Clark that I said the same thing about you."

"I will."

_And Chloe would do it, too. _

~*~

He hid the ring box in the back of his top dresser drawer as he rolled the idea of how to ask Lois to marry him, over in his mind. The idea scared him, much in the way he'd been afraid to ask Lana, but this was altogether different and he knew it. It was the constant fear of being alone that had prompted him to propose to her so impetuously and it was something he'd come to regret.

With Lois, it would be a way to continue building on the relationship they'd forged together and build a life together, complete with children. They'd talked about it the night his mother had come home and since then, he would catch himself with a smile on his face at the idea of holding a little girl in his arms who was the spitting image of her mother.

His chest would warm at the thought of a daughter with brown hair and gray eyes who would have Lois' same spirit and determination. A little girl who would defend her brothers and sisters as Lois had always defended _her_ sister. _Brothers and sisters? _

He shook his head in amusement. _Face it Farm Boy, you want to get married._

It had been much easier than he'd thought to finally come to that decision and now that he had, he knew where he wanted it to happen. And though he wasn't exactly sure _how_ he was going to do it, he knew without a doubt that he wanted to.

He stood at his dresser mirror the night of the charity ball trying to tie his bow tie with nervous fingers, but they wouldn't cooperate. And in frustration, he let out an uncharacteristic growl as he attempted for yet the third time to tie the stupid thing.

"Growling at your tie won't get it tied, you know." He looked over to the doorway of his bedroom and saw Lois leaning against the frame, arms folded across her chest, looking as though she was trying not to laugh. "It looks as though I'm going to have to help you with that, again."

Clark smiled at her reference to the day he graduated high school when he couldn't seem to tie his tie _that_ day either.

"I suppose I'll have to help you with your cufflinks, too." She boosted herself away from the door and he could swear he heard her snicker as she spared a glance at his dresser, his father's cuff links waiting for him.

"They were my dad's." _He wore them the night he proposed to my mom. _"And I've never had to put them on before."

"Well, let's get your tie done first, then we'll tackle those." She rolled her eyes as she walked toward him and he felt his face flush because as she'd promised him, she was wearing the same dress she'd worn a year earlier. It hugged her curves, accenting them and the neckline teased at a hint of her fullness which got him to sigh with a different kind of frustration.

"You're staring." He heard the admonishing tone in her voice, but knew she was smiling. "I'm going to have to talk to your mother about that."

"You could, but I think you'd rather kiss me." His gaze shifted to her eyes as she stopped in front of him and he grasped her hands. "What do you think?"

"I think that we're going to be late if we don't get moving." She squeezed his fingers. "Your mom left a half hour ago to do her meet and greet, with the understanding that we would leave no less than an hour after she did. It is now-" She turned her wrist to look at her watch. "Forty-five minutes since she left and we're running out of time. So let's pick up the pace Clarkie."

_Clarkie? _It wasn't 'Smallville', but he could live with that.

"I can't do that until you help me with my tie." He gave her an embarrassed grin and Lois grasped the ends, tugging on them gently.

"I don't know how you ever got along without me."

"I don't either." He pressed his lips to hers, wanting to really kiss her, but knew they didn't have time and smiled when her face flushed a deep red as she tapped his chin up.

"Shut up so I can tie this thing."

He had the overwhelming urge to say something to her, but decided against it. So he kept quiet and just enjoyed her being so close, catching the gentle scent of her perfume as she concentrated on tying his tie. He recognized it as the same perfume she'd worn on their first date and smiled. He knew she'd deny it if he brought up the fact that she was just as sentimental as _he_ was.

"You're good to go." Clark felt her hand pat the tie and she stepped back. "Now how about those cuff links?"

He reached over and closed his fingers around his father's cuff links and held them for a moment before he dropped them in Lois' outstretched hand. "How is it that you know so much about this?"

"Who do you think dressed my dad after Mom died?" Lois gave him a pointed look and pulled on his sleeve. "Dad was all thumbs too."

"What would I do without you?" He kissed her cheek and she looked up into his face.

"Watch the makeup." She raised an eyebrow at him, desperately trying to hide her smile. "We don't have enough time for me to reapply it."

"Maybe later then." He pressed his lips to hers again with a smile.

"No maybe about it." She promised as she dropped his arm and picked up the other. "Really Smallville, you're hopeless."

"Only with you." He assured her and brushed the fingers of his free hand across her cheek.

"Sweet talker." She laughed softly and let go of his arm before she turned for the door. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"I'll be there in a minute." Clark promised as he watched her leave the room. When he heard the sound her heels on the stairs, he opened his dresser drawer to reach inside for the ring box and when he located it, pulled it out. His heart began to flutter in his chest as he opened the box, taking a look at the ring and took a deep breath. He pulled it out and slipped it into his inside breast pocket, next to his heart.

Now all Lois had to do was say _'Yes'_.

When he got downstairs, she wasn't in the front hall as he expected her to be, arms folded across her chest and frowning up the stairs in irritation. Instead, he found her standing in front of the still unfinished Christmas tree.

"We have to finish this eventually." He commented quietly as he stopped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "If we don't, Mom has promised she's going to do it for us."

"Maybe we'll be able to do that when we get home." She answered softly and leaned back against him. "Your mother told me before she left that she's planning on staying in Metropolis tonight. Something about a breakfast meeting she and Ollie are having with the director of the children's home in the morning so they can give him the proceeds."

"That means we'll have the house to ourselves." He said almost to himself. "All night."

"I think that was the general idea." She answered breathlessly. "Your mom seems to have had a change of heart about that."

"I don't think it's as much a change of heart as her accepting the fact that we're not kids anymore." He swallowed nervously. "And she's leaving the decision up to us."

"And what have you decided?"

_Was it possible for her voice to sound even more breathless? _

"You mean other than how much I love you?" Clark grinned and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Nice dodge, Kent." Lois burrowed against him and he heard a soft sigh.

"Thanks, Lane. I learned from the best." He let go of her shoulders only long enough to get his arms around her waist.

"I suppose you mean me." Her head dropped back against his shoulder and she glanced up at him.

"Who else?" He laughed and was reluctant to let her go, but he finally did when he steadied her on her feet. "Come on, we really _are_ going to be late if we don't leave now."

"You really know how to wreck a mood." He heard a dramatic sigh as she turned for the front door and he followed her.

"I'll make it up to you." He promised as he got her coat from the coat rack and held it for her.

"You'll make it worth the wait, I suppose." She cocked an eyebrow at him, reminding him of what he'd promised the night his mother had come home.

"Highlight of your life." _He_ couldn't help but remind her of a certain Valentine's Day.

"We'll see about that." Lois' face flushed at the idea of finishing what they'd started and he felt his own face warm in response. She slipped her arms through the sleeves of the coat he held and he dropped it on her shoulders. "Always the gentleman."

"As if you'd expect anything else." He stepped back to get his own coat and shrug into it. As Lois picked up her purse from the side table Clark reached out and grasped her hand, suddenly feeling the need to let her know what he was thinking. "Have I ever told you how beautiful I think you are?"

Her flushed face turned crimson and she looked absolutely stunned. "What brought that on?"

"Because it's the truth and it's something I should have told you long ago." He admitted and refused to relinquish her hand. "And I feel so lucky knowing that you love me."

The redness in her cheeks faded as she took a deep breath and stepped in front of him, keeping her hand in his. "Well since this seems to be the night for handing out compliments, have I ever told you how handsome I think you are? I don't think I've ever told you that either." She took another breath. "And I feel so lucky to be loved by you."

He knew she'd refuse, but decided to tempt her anyway. "You know Lois, there's nothing that says we _have_ to go."

"Clark." Her face reddened again, knowing full well what he meant.

"Or we could be a little late." He smiled at her as he picked up a lock of her loose hair to brush it against his lips as he caught her eye.

"If I let you talk me into what I'm sure you have in mind, we won't be leaving this house at any time in the near future." Lois shook her head. "I'm not going to do that to your mom and you aren't either."

"It was worth a shot." He shrugged and let go of her hair. "You can't blame a guy for trying."

"As long as you keep trying Smallville." Lois leaned up and kissed his cheek. "That's all that matters."

~*~

"What the hell?" Lois tugged on Clark's hand to stop him just before they walked into the ballroom of the _Regent Hotel _two hours later, not believing what she was seeing.

"Lois?" He looked puzzled.

"Look who's standing next to your mom." Of all people that Lois would have expected to see that night, her father dressed in his Class A uniform, was not one of them.

"Let's go say hello." He started forward and pulled her gently behind him, but Lois resisted.

"What is he doing here?" It didn't make any sense because Christmas was still a week away and Dad hadn't said anything about coming to Kansas.

"The only way we're going to find that out is to ask." He replied sensibly and she frowned. "Did it ever occur to you that he might just want to see his daughter?"

"He's stationed in Washington."

"And he decided to come out here to see you." Clark didn't seem to understand why she was hesitating. "Aren't you happy that he's here?"

"Sure I am, I just didn't expect it." She relaxed a little because she _was_ actually happy to see him. "Lane's aren't known for their family togetherness."

"But we were together at Thanksgiving and it went well. So that should count for something, don't you think?"

"I guess." She sighed and he laughed.

"Just hold on to my hand if you need to. We'll be fine." He tried to reassure her as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Easy for _you_ to say." She sighed again.

"Lois." He admonished gently with a shake of his head.

"I know." She gripped his hand and they walked toward their parents together, side by side and came to a stop in front of them. "Hi Daddy."

"Evening Lo." And it looked as though he was trying to suppress a smile. "Martha was beginning to wonder if the two had gotten sidetracked."

"Dad!" "Sam." Lois and his mother chided him simultaneously and the General caught Clark's eye, an eyebrow slipping up surreptitiously. It seemed as though he was wondering _how_ sidetracked they'd gotten.

"Lois had to help me with my tie and Dad's cufflinks." He told their parents in way of explanation.

"She's quite the helpmate, isn't she?" He glanced at Lois.

"Dad." She frowned at him and shook her head.

"Well it's the truth." The serious façade finally gave way to a small smile. "Any man would be lucky to have a girl like her."

"I don't believe this." She could feel her face warm and began to rethink if she _was_ happy to see the old m an.

The General laughed softly and to her complete surprise, got his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. "You usually don't embarrass this easily, Lo."

"Hey CK." The cheerful voice of Jimmy Olsen called from behind them and Lois turned around to see the _Planet_'s photographer decked out in a tuxedo. A camera was hanging around his neck and he was grinning. "I guess Lois found a way to get you here."

"She was very persuasive." Clark shrugged and when Lois glared at Jimmy, his grin got wider. She and Clark were never going to live down what had humorously become known around the _Planet_ as 'The Phone Booth Incident'. "Is Chloe with you?"

Jimmy shook his head. "She got tied up at the Isis Foundation and told me she'd get here when she finished up."

"Well, make sure and bring her to our table when she does." Mrs. Kent spoke up. "There's plenty of room."

"Thanks Mrs. Kent." Jimmy nodded his appreciation and Lois saw his attention drawn to her father, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Jimmy, this is Lois's father." Clark made the introduction. "General Lane, this is Jimmy Olsen. He works with us at the_ Planet_."

"And he's a real asset in my book." The sound of Ollie's voice caught Lois' attention as he approached the group. "Good evening everyone. It looks as though we're going to have a nice turnout for the Children's Home. You must be Lois's father."

"And you must be the Queen boy." The stern voice made Lois sigh.

"Dad." Her equally stern voice let her father know she didn't appreciate his tone.

Ollie, for his part, _did_ have the grace to look a little embarrassed as he held out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, sir."

"Uh-huh." Was his non-committal reply.

"Dad." She punched his arm. "Shake his hand."

"Lois, it's all right." He put his hands up to placate her, but she wouldn't accept it.

"No it's not." Lois frowned and grabbed the arm she'd just punched. "Mom would be so embarrassed."

Dad glanced down at her and to Lois' surprise he looked contrite. "You're right, your mother _would_ be embarrassed. And I'm sorry for embarrassing _you_."

She wasn't expecting that and stared at her father in stunned silence.

"What?" A light flush crept across his face. "A father can't apologize to his daughter for being a jackass?"

"I just never expected _my_ father to apologize." She found herself admitting to him and put her hand up to his forehead. "You're not running a fever, are you?"

"Knock it off Lo." He brushed her hand away, but at least he was smiling. It seemed an effort to keep it there, though, when he looked at Ollie again and extended his hand. "Mr. Queen."

"General Lane." They shook. "Now I understand why Lois is so direct."

"She gets that from me." It seemed to be a point of pride with him. "She gets her looks from her mother."

"Oh my god." Was it physically possible to crawl under the floor?

"She _thinks_ she looks like me, but I know better." Dad added and she heard Clark's soft laugh.

"Let me take your coat so Mom can show you to your seat." Lois felt his hands on her shoulders and then his low voice was near her ear. "And everyone can see how beautiful you look."

"Smallville."

"Don't be embarrassed." He soothed her. "I've been waiting a whole year to see you in that dress again."

"And I'd bet you'd rather see me out of it." She leaned back and commented quietly, so that no one else could hear her but him.

"That too." He replied just as quietly before he pulled the coat off of her shoulders. "Because I sure liked the preview."

"It gets better." She kissed his cheek and got her arms out of the sleeves.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" The knowing voice of her father held a note of humor and Lois looked at him. "The way the two of you keep putting your heads together."

"Sam, leave them alone." Mrs. Kent chided him. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten what it's like to be young and in love."

"That I haven't Martha." He seemed reluctant to agree. "Because these two kids of ours are a nice reminder of those days."

"I'm going to check our coats and I'll be right back." Clark told her and started to turn away when Lois put her hand on his arm.

"I'll come with you." She told him and he smiled as he reached for her hand.

As they walked away from the group, Clark laughed softly and squeezed her fingers. "Well that was entertaining."

"Easy for _you_ to say." Lois sighed, but found herself laughing as well. "For a minute there, I thought Ollie was going to get decked."

"I was thinking the same thing." He chuckled. "I know your dad wasn't happy with the way things ended with the two of you."

"He never said as much, but I could tell when we'd talk on the phone." She shrugged. "And I'm really surprised that Dad didn't dress him down right there."

"It's like he said, he didn't want to embarrass you. And he knew if he told Oliver what he thought of him, it _would_." He stopped when they got to the coat room, surrendered their coats to the clerk and she handed the claim tickets to Clark. He pocketed them and took her hand again to walk her to the table where their family and friends had already been seated.

"He's always been like that with any guy I've dated and I never appreciated what it really meant." Lois glanced up at him. "You're the only guy I know that he _hasn't_ been that way with."

"Really?" He looked surprised.

"You won't be that way with _our_ daughter, will you Clark?" The words were out before she had a chance to stop them and she felt his grip on her hand tighten.

"If _I'm_ not, I'm sure her brothers will be." He replied and his face reddened. "The Kent men can be pretty overprotective."

"Don't I know it." She felt her own face warm at his soft smile. "What?"

"It's just that we've never talked about kids before and in the last few days, we've talked about it twice."

"I can't imagine having anyone's babies but yours." Lois admitted softly and he came to a dead stop, looking absolutely floored. "I'm not ready yet, but when I am-"

He swallowed hard and she could see his eyes begin to sparkle with deep emotion as he leaned close to her ear. "And I don't want anyone to have my babies but you."

It was unexpected, but really shouldn't have been when Lois felt a single tear roll out of the corner of her eye. It was one thing to tell him how _she_ felt, but to hear it from him struck a chord so deeply in her that she couldn't seem to help it.

"Lois honey, please don't cry." He tried to calm her as he brushed the tear away with his thumb. "I didn't say that to make you cry."

All she could manage was a nod before she took a deep breath and found her voice. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"What's that?" He asked and had the dopiest grin on his face. In fact, he looked rather pleased with himself. "Making you cry or wanting you to have my children?"

"Both." She took another deep breath and tried to compose herself. "I never used to cry, until I met you."

"And that's a bad thing?" He brushed her cheek. "When I first met you, I thought you were the kind of girl who didn't need anybody. You seemed to be the complete opposite of me and I wondered sometimes how we could be friends."

"Do they always talk this much?" Lois heard her father's amused voice interrupt their conversation as she and Clark approached the table and found their seats.

"Except when they're in a phone booth." Jimmy's equally amused voice answered. "And then, Lois is totally speechless."

"All right Olsen, that's enough out of you." Lois frowned at him as Clark held her chair and waited for her to sit.

"You mean you haven't told your dad?" He laughed softly, not worried about her veiled threat.

"Told me what Lois?" The General's eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

"Nothing worth repeating." She shook her head and refused to elaborate.

"Maybe young Kent will fill me in, then." He gave her a pointed look. "Seeing as how he _was_ there."

"With all due respect sir, that's between us." Clark's voice was quiet but firm as he sat down next to Lois. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then I don't either."

The General nodded silently and she could see that he was impressed with the way Clark stood up for her. _You can trust him, Dad._

"Fair enough." He replied and as he poured himself a glass of wine, the lights dimmed slightly when waiters began to emerge from the kitchen to start the first dinner course. "Would you care for something to drink, Lo?"

"Thanks Dad, but I'll stick with sparkling water." She held up her glass.

"You don't need to do that for me." Clark told her. "Just because I'm not drinking doesn't mean _you_ can't."

"That's not why I'm passing on the Chardonnay, Smallville." She caught his eye and hoped he would understand her meaning. "I just want to have a clear head tonight."

"Why do you need a clear head?" He asked and seemed to be doing his best not to break out into a grin as she leaned close to him.

"I don't want anything to cloud the moment we put the star on the tree."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Clark reached for her hand under the table and held it.

"We need to finish the tree, and the sooner the better." She grasped his fingers. "Don't you think so?"

"How fast can you eat?" He asked.

"How fast can you drive?" Lois answered his question with one of her own.

"You'd be surprised."

"Then surprise me."

~*~

As much as he wanted to get Lois home, he really wanted to propose to her first. Because after their earlier conversation about children, she'd all but said that she'd marry him. And it was because of that conversation that he wanted to marry her even more.

He kept waiting for the right moment to ask, but it failed to present itself.

After dinner was over, General Lane had asked Lois to dance when the band began to play 'Sentimental Journey'. And it wasn't until they went out on the dance floor that Clark decided to take matters into his own hands and create the moment.

"Clark, I'm sure that Sam wouldn't mind if you cut in." He felt his mother's gentle hand on his as he sat and watched them. "Because now is as good a time as any."

"Time for what?" Mom couldn't know what he had planned, _could_ she?

"To offer Lois your name." She said simply. "You have the same look that Jonathan did the night _he_ proposed."

"Mom." _How did she do that?_

"That song won't last forever, so go." She motioned him toward the dance floor and Clark stood unsteadily, knowing that the moment of truth had come and it was time to show his hand to the woman he loved.

He took a deep breath and tried to locate Lois and the General. When he did, he strode purposefully toward them, his heart jack-hammering in his chest the whole way. What if he'd misread what she'd said or what she meant?

What if she said '_no'_?

"Excuse me, General Lane. Would you mind if I cut in?" He had to clear his throat a couple of times to get the words out and Lois' head dipped as she tried to hide a smile.

"Not at all son, she's all yours." He let go of Lois and clapped Clark on the shoulder before he turned and walked off the dance floor and back to their table.

Her face was flushed and Clark couldn't help but wonder if she had an inkling of what he was about to ask as he took her right hand in his left. He got his other arm around her waist and she put her left hand on his shoulder.

In silent agreement, they began to turn a slow circle. And as they did, he drew Lois closer to him until her head was on his shoulder and he held her body close against his. "Dad was stationed at Fort Shafter on Oahu a couple of years before Mom died. And every year on December sixth, there would be a dance to commemorate the last night of peace before Pearl Harbor was bombed.

"All of the servicemen and their families from Shafter, Schofield, Ford Island, Hickam and Wheeler were invited to the Royal Hawaiian for a dance on the back lawn of the hotel. I was only four, but I remember Mom and Dad dancing to this song and he held her the way you're holding me."

"He loved your mom a lot, didn't he?" He laid his cheek on her hair .

"He always said she was the love of his life and after she died, part of him did too. I guess that's why he never got married again, because anything else would have paled in comparison."

"I think a part of Mom died too, when Dad died." Clark finally understood how that was possible and he held Lois closer to ward off his sad thoughts and then took a deep breath. "Lois?"

"Mm-hmm?" She acknowledged him with a contented sigh as they continued to turn and he began to caress her back.

"Would you consider marrying me?" His hands started to shake as Lois stilled in his arms.

"What?" Her breathless surprise was evident and _he_ stilled.

"Would you consider marrying me?" He repeated.

"Are you serious?" She asked and Clark had no idea what she was thinking, so he did something he knew she'd never expect. He stepped back and took her left hand in his and then got down on one knee.

"Lois, would you marry me?" There was no turning back now because he'd just bared his heart in a very public way.

"Clark, would you get up." There were so many emotions that seemed to be crossing her face as she urged him to stand and glanced furtively around the room at the suddenly staring faces.

"I will when you give me an answer." Clark refused to comply with her request, sensing that his romantic gesture had overwhelmed her.

"What if I say 'no'?" She asked gently and he thought he could see the beginning of a soft smile. "_Then_ what are you going to do?"

"I'll just have to stay down here until you say 'yes'." He answered, being very aware that they had become the center of attention.

"That's it son, show her who's boss." Clark heard the voice of Lois' father, encouraging him.

That earned her parent a glare from his oldest daughter before she turned her attention back to the man down on one knee, holding her trembling hand in one of his own. Her face had flushed a bright pink and he could see that she was fighting back tears. "Why are you doing this?"

He reached for her other hand and caught her eye. "Because I love you and I want you to be my wife." _Breathe Clark. _"And I'm hoping that maybe you want me to be your husband?"

"Are you proposing because you want to sleep with me?" She whispered quietly, knowing his super hearing would pick it up, and no one else would hear such a personal question.

"I'm proposing because I can't see the rest of my life without you in it anymore." And he couldn't help but grin as he felt his face warm. "And I've finally had to accept the fact that I want my daughters to look like you."

"Well, since I've had to accept the fact that I want my sons to look like you, I guess there's only one answer I can give you." A tear spilled over her lower lash and dropped down her cheek.

"And what answer would that be?" His heart was fluttering furiously in anticipation of what she was going to say.

"Get up and I'll tell you."

"Tell me and I'll get up." His eyebrows went up in challenge.

"You're impossible." Lois rolled her eyes and a tear rolled down her other cheek.

"And where to you think I learned that?" _She was cracking._

"Clark."

"Lois."

"Yes."

"What?" Did she just say _'yes'_?

"You heard me."

"I think I need to hear it again." Actually, he _wanted_ to hear it again because Clark Jerome Kent could not be lucky enough to have Lois Joanne Lane accept his marriage proposal.

"Says the guy with super hearing." She said under her breath.

"I heard that." He laughed softly, running his thumbs across her knuckles.

"You were supposed to." Another tear rolled down her cheek and then she gave him a brilliant smile that made _him_ smile. "Yes Clark, I _will_ marry you. Now get up." She couldn't seem to help but add.

Her eyes followed his movement as he stood up and her face flushed again when he reached his full height. He had an effect on her that he never thought he would and it warmed his heart to know she loved him so much.

He pulled his mother's engagement ring out of his breast pocket and presented it to her. "Dad gave this to Mom the night he proposed to her and she'd consider it an honor if you'd accept it from me. They had a lot of happy years together and she wants that for us too."

Lois looked at the ring and Clark could hear the rapid beat of her heart as he got a hold of her left hand and felt the tremors. His own hands were shaking so badly that he was afraid he would drop the ring before he could put it on her finger.

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

"Not nearly as beautiful as the woman who's going to wear it." He told her honestly before he gave her a soft kiss. He slipped the ring on that now belonged to her, with his mother's blessing and kissed the finger that bore the pledge of their commitment. "I do love you Lois."

"I love you too, Clark." She pulled her hand out of his and curled her arms around his neck. "And just so you know, you have no idea what you're in for."

"I think I can handle it." He pulled her close, wanting so badly to feel her soft lips on his.

"We'll see about that." She laughed softly just before she kissed him, giving him what he wanted. "Now take me home before I ravish you right here."

"If I don't beat you to it." He felt his eyes tear as he gathered her close against his heart and made a promise to her. "I'll do my best to make you happy Lois."

"You already do, Smallville. You already do." And to show him how much she meant it, she kissed him.


End file.
